Straddle carriers or trailers of the type used to transport large bin boxes of fruit on roadways are well known, and some examples of the patented prior art are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,982,430; 2,862,635, and 3,031,203. Since the straddle carriers must be open between their rear wheel assemblies to allow a clear longitudinal passage for the load to enter into engagement with lifting means on the carrier, special problems and requirements are encountered in suspending the rear carrier wheels. Customarily, the rear wheels are tandemly arranged near the rear end of the carrier frame and heavy longitudinal leaf spring arrangements are utilized between the rear wheel axles and vertical posts which are joined with or constitute parts of the carrier main frame. To obtain adequate strength and stability, the prior art arrangements tend to be very heavy and quite costly and also somewhat complicated and they afford less than the ideal operational characteristics in the wheel suspensions.
With the above problems in mind, the objective of this invention is to provide a greatly improved, more efficient, lighter weight and less expensive rear wheel suspension for straddle carriers which will have increased strength and load cushioning ability without complex springing arrangements or numerous mechanical parts. The major load bearing elements are welded and require no adjusting. A pair of fore and aft angled shock absorbers or shock struts of any preferred type are connected at their tops with special fabricated holders integrated with the carrier frame and vertical box beams which depend from such frame. The resulting construction is compact and allows increased freedom of movement of the tandem wheel pairs in relation to ground surface irregularities.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.